September is No Kid Hungry Month and, believe it or not, you have the opportunity to help fight hunger with your fork.

The average person will eat 90 meals in the month of September… we’re talking breakfast, lunch and dinner. That means you have 90 opportunities (well, since it’s September 3, a few less now) to dine out and make a difference for the 1 in 5 kids struggling with hunger in your community and mine.

This month, thousands of restaurants around the country are donating a portion of your meal tab to help kids get breakfast before school, after school meals and food in the summer. The money will also be used to teach kids the benefits of healthy eating and cooking.  To find a restaurant near you, click here.

If there are no participating restaurants in your area, you can still make a tax-deductible donation to No Kid Hungry… just click here. Did you know that $1 can provide a child with as many as 10 meals?

I believe every child deserves three meals a day… every day. How about you?

The week isn’t nearly over, but there’s a lot of interesting food news out there!

Sriracha hot sauce is one of my passions, as you know from a post I wrote  earlier this year. Now, for all of you who share my passion, there’s A Sriracha documentary available online. Here’s a preview:

When my kids were little I used to swaddle them tightly so they looked like burritos. I’d call them my little burrito babies. Well, now there’s an official burrito baby blanket that looks exactly like a tortilla. Want one for Christmas? Order it here.

Fast food workers nationwide protested a few days ago over low wages. They’re asking for $15 an hour. Fast food owners say that’s too much, and it would force them to use robots and automation. That reminded me of this video:

Are you following “TipsforJesus” on Instagram? Apparently there’s a mystery good Samaritan going around the country (and Mexico!) leaving outrageous tips for the wait staff. Who are the mysterious tippers? Valley Wag says former PayPal VP Jack Selby is one of them.

I’d love to have enough money to be that generous… wouldn’t you?

Finally, if you are a visual learner, here’s the perfect cookbook for you, Picture Cook: See. Make. Eat. Fully illustrated with step-by-step instructions on how to make your favorite comfort food recipes. Have a peek:

September is “No Kid Hungry” month and here’s an easy way for you to help: feed yourself.

If you eat out at any one of more than 8,000 participating restaurants this month, you’ll be helping to end childhood hunger in this country. Did you know 1 in 5 kids live in households where there’s a struggle to put food on the table?

A portion of each restaurant’s September receipts will go to benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign and its work connecting kids at risk of hunger with nutritious food and teaching their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals.

The restaurants vary from city to city… from upscale restaurants like Sprout in Chicago and Horatio’s in San Francisco to Sizzler’s, Denny’s and Corner Bakery. To find a restaurant near you, click here.

Let your friends know about this campaign. Just hit this share button here to post to Facebook or Twitter… or forward this blog post to your friends.

Here’s an idea: why not take the kids to one of the restaurants on the list. Talk to them about hunger in America and let them know how THEY are helping others by eating out.

But get moving… September is already half-over!

Have you ever been food poisoned?

A few years back, GP and Drew got so sick on our holiday in California that they couldn’t fly home with the rest of us. It took them a good three days to recover.

We knew exactly what they ate and where they ate… but besides calling the restaurant, there wasn’t anything we could do about it. Twitter has changed all that… at least in Chicago.

Earlier this year, the Chicago Department of Public Health, using the Twitter handle @Foodbornechi began monitoring tweets from Chicago diners with the words “food poisoning.” Volunteers then contact the victims and encourage them to fill out a form and report the incident.

This could help “connect the dots” in the race to trace the source of a specific outbreak or help pinpoint restaurants that may be unknowingly spreading foodborne illness.

Think this is a good idea? Let me know. Critics say while a lot of people scream “food poisoning!” if they get sick after a meal… the last thing eaten isn’t always to blame. Did you know you can get sick from food poisoning up to TWO WEEKS later! (That’s According to the Centers for Disease Control).

Still, I think Twitter is a great idea. May not make your stomach stop hurting… but it might make you feel a little better to vent your anger.

And, who knows…you might just help a fellow diner avoid a potential problem down the road.